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Review: 54 (1998)
The tale of the noted celebrity hotspot comes to the screen and probably lacks the excitement of the real thing. That should come as no surprise as Miramax’s odyssey of a Garden State youth no-namer to hobnobber with the rich and famous comes off as being a less engaging repackaging (minus the porn industry) of last year’s Boogie Nights.
Ryan Phillippe stars in 54, which marks the debut of filmmaker Mark Christopher. Like Mark Wahlberg in Paul Thomas Anderson’s film, Phillippe is an aimless youth living at home and is plucked from virtual anonymity. Though not by a porn filmmaker but by Steve Rubell (Mike Myers), one of the founders of the club. For reasons unknown, no reference is made to Rubell’s 54 partner Ian Schrager.
Shane (Phillippe) manages to get past the velvet rope by stripping off his shirt, much to the annoyance of friends who aren’t admitted to the establishment. He gains entry to a world of stars and starmakers who frequent the place and delight themselves in decadence delivered by drink and drugs. Shane makesfast friends with Greg (Bricklin Meyer), one of his co-workers whose girlfriend Anita (the sinfully sensual Salma Hayek) aspires to become a recording artist.
Anita might get her chance thanks to Billie Auster (the sadly underused Sela Ward). She’s an insider with her nose in coke and her eyes on Shane. She hangs out with the elite both domestic (Lauren Hutton) and foreign (Michael York).
Christopher’s vision plays like a period soap opera and the acting more undynamic as any daily serial. The cast is OK but the likes of Hayek, Ward, and Neve Campbell turn in surprisingly dull performances though not as dull as Phillippe who seems to act like he’s imitating John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever (1977).
As for Myers, he seems to spend a bit too much time camping it up and sounding like Fran Drescher. 54 might have started out with good intentions but would-be viewers would probably be better off renting Boogie Nights or Saturday Night Fever.
Robert Baum is Currently a Bryn Mawr, PA-based film afficanado and pop culture junkie.
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